


Doing Research

by thatnerdemryn



Series: Em's Femslash February 2020 [18]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Battle Girlfriends, Caught, Episode: s03e20 City of Glass, F/F, Femslash February, Kissing, Sneaking Around
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22915585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/pseuds/thatnerdemryn
Summary: What happened when Alec walked in on Aline and Helen doing... research.
Relationships: Helen Blackthorn/Aline Penhallow
Series: Em's Femslash February 2020 [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1621414
Comments: 3
Kudos: 26
Collections: Shadowhunters 2020 Femslash February





	Doing Research

Aline was stewing from Jia shooing her away in the hallway outside her mother’s office when a hand grasped hers and pulled her into one of the offices that hadn’t been filled by a replacement Clave member. Her first instinct was to fight and then she smelled the earthy aroma that always seemed to follow Helen around. She reminded herself to ask Helen one of these days if that was a natural scent derived from her seelie half or if it was store bought. Either way, it had her entire body relaxing immediately.

She didn’t have much time to think or say anything before Helen had her pressed up against the door with a hand over her mouth. She widened her eyes in question as she attempted to squirm out of Helen’s grasp. Helen held up one finger on her other hand and placed it over her lips, shushing her quietly. Aline held her breath as she heard the sound of rushing footsteps outside. As they slowly disappeared, Helen’s hand dropped from Aline’s mouth, but their bodies stayed pressed together. 

“I know we agreed to tell everyone soon, but there is something entirely too  _ hot _ about sneaking around,” Aline whispered as she smirked at Helen. Helen rolled her eyes and shook her head, a fond gesture Aline had grown to really like in the last few weeks. 

“Where have you been?” Helen asked in a more frantic whisper than Aline was comfortable hearing from her lips. Aline pressed her palm against Helen’s cheek and used both hands to push her hair behind her pointed ears. She had been attempting to get Helen to stop covering her seelie feature so thoroughly with her golden locks, but the idea hadn’t quite settled in for Helen. 

“I was in my mother’s office when she got a fire message and kicked me out because of course her daughter doesn’t deserve to know anything going on with her.” Aline’s voice was just a little bitter, but she thought she had the right to be. She knew something was happening and with the look of panic on Helen’s face, her thoughts were validated. “What was in that fire message, Helen?” Aline asked. Helen sighed heavily and started to move away from Aline. Aline grabbed her hand before she could go too far. 

“Jonathan Morgenstern escaped the Lightwood’s and they think he’s going to try and breach the wards,” Helen started. Before she could say anything else, the warning sirens blared. They glanced at each other with wide eyes before darting over to the window to see the demon towers losing their angelic glow. As she was about to speak, a fire message appeared in Aline’s hand. She read through it quickly, her other hand still laced with Helen’s, both of them squeezing a little tighter than before. 

“My mom,” Aline started as she scribed a quick message back to her mother with her stele. “All able bodied shadowhunters are to prepare for combat. Others are being sent to the demon shelters for protection,” Aline explained as she started toward the door. Helen pulled her back with a tug at her hand and pressed their bodies solidly together, her arms winding around Aline in a tight hug. Aline nuzzled her face into Helen’s neck and held her back just as tightly. 

“I’ve never heard of the demon towers deactivating,” Helen whispered into Aline’s hair, a fearfulness laced in her tone that had Aline holding her even closer. 

“Neither have I,” Aline admitted before pulling her face away. She kept their closeness, not ready to give it up just yet, and pressed a kiss to Helen’s forehead. “We’re gonna try to stay together, okay?” Aline decided as she held Helen’s face in her hands. She nodded in urgency as Helen nodded with her. 

“It’ll be one hell of a third date,” Helen said with a sad laugh. Aline shook her head as she leaned in and connected their lips. The kiss was gentle, not dissimilar to every other kiss the two had shared. It had only been a few weeks of awkward goodbye hugs, tentative hand holds, and extremely soft kisses, but neither of them were willing to separate from the other yet. They shot apart when the door slammed open behind them. 

“Uh, hi,” Alec said, a blush blooming across his face. Aline thought that his and the one on her own cheeks probably matched. “Jia wanted me to find you, be sure you were safe, before we…” He gestured vaguely toward the orange glimmer stretching across the darkened sky. Aline nodded and walked over to him, pushing aside how much she already missed Helen’s warm hand in hers. They sprinted down the hallway together before they caught sight of Izzy. 

“Alec!” Izzy yelled as she stopped in front of them. 

“I was on my way back from Jia’s office when I ran into Aline and her…” Alec trailed off and gestured toward Helen. Aline tried to keep her composure as she glanced over at Helen for help. 

“Helen,” she replied lamely. Aline resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Izzy glanced between the two of them. 

“Nice to finally meet you,” Izzy commented.

“Likewise, although I wish the circumstances were different,” Helen replied with a raise of her eyebrows. Aline wanted to laugh, but the sound of sirens and roaring in the distance wiped any thread of humor out of her. Izzy caught Aline’s eyes before she spoke again. 

“What’s the plan?” She said seriously, her chest heaving. 

“We’re notifying all able bodied citizens to take combat positions and prepare for battle,” Aline reported. 

“The others are going to have to be ushered down into the demon shelters,” Helen finished. More nervousness arose in Aline’s chest as she tried to stay focused. She wanted with everything in her to be holding Helen’s hand again and pushed away the thought. She had to  _ focus _ . 

“Well, the good thing is the two of you were together when Alec found you,” Izzy said and Aline couldn’t believe that Izzy was fishing for information at a time like that. 

“We were, just, doing…” Aline trailed off as she tried to think of any excuse that would get Izzy off of her back for the time being. 

“Research.” Helen finished her sentence again and Aline could think about how adorable that was later. Out of the corner of her eye, Aline saw a sly smirk on Alec’s face and an identical one sprouting across Izzy’s. The blast outside threw everyone from their thoughts as they ran toward the nearest exit. They walked outside to see demons flooding through the orange rift in the sky and fire burning through their city. A fireball landed just a little too close for comfort and Aline reached her hand out in an attempt to find Helen’s. She turned quickly to run back inside, Helen’s hands grabbing at the arm of her jacket as she followed.

“The city will never get clear in time,” Izzy said, panicked. They were walking faster now and Aline wasn’t sure any of them knew where they were going. 

“Why aren’t the cannons firing?” Alec asked. Aline sighed as they turned a corner. 

“It’s gonna take a minute to get them up and running,” Aline said, exasperated. She wasn’t mad at Alec’s question, but the situation was worse than Aline had ever imagined and she was more alarmed now than she was before. Alec and Izzy stopped walking as Aline and Helen turned toward them. 

“We’ll go help,” Helen said as she looked at Aline for confirmation. Aline nodded. “We’ll meet you back here.”

“Alive,” Aline added as she nodded at Alec and Izzy. No more words were exchanged as Aline and Helen made their way up to the top floor of the building. “You stay here and help Aiden with this cannon, I’m going to see if they need help with the other,” Aline said. She was in combat mode now, her voice as steady as the situation allowed and her mind working fast. As Helen turned, Aline grabbed her hand and pulled her back, pressing a passionate kiss to her lips. 

“I’ll see you soon,” Helen said and it sounded like a promise she didn’t intend to break. Aline nodded to her and pressed a final kiss to her forehead before turning away against everything in her. She had a job to do. 

**Author's Note:**

> I HAD TO. This scene was too good not to write more of. I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Let me know what you thought on [Tumblr](https://archeryandeyeliner.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thatnerdemilyj).
> 
> Please leave kudos if you like it and comment to make me smile.


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